


(Help) Clean Up This Mess You Made

by marshmellow_sirel



Category: LazyTown
Genre: Fluff, Gen, I'm not good at tagging apparently, Mechanic!Robbie, sorry for that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-19 04:04:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9417740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marshmellow_sirel/pseuds/marshmellow_sirel
Summary: Robbie's fake box melted inside the control box of Sportacus's airship and caused the ship to malfunction. Exhausted and out of his depth, Sportacus asks Robbie for help to get his airship airborne again.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A bit of an epilogue to the episode "Lazy Town Goes Digital"  
> Check out this piece of art that inspired me to write this: frozenhoneycombpie.tumblr.com/post/155295886447/based-on-this-post-bc-i-loved-the-idea-so-much

Sportacus walked through Lazy Town early in the morning. He needed to speak to Robbie Rotten about his latest scheme and the entrance to his hidden bunker lay across town. Grease smeared across his arms, dirt and grass stains stained his pants and boots, and a frown was set on his face.

The hidden door in the billboard opened before Sportacus reached it to reveal Robbie Rotten holding an orange pillow, “Ah,” said Robbie as he tried to walk past him. “Hello Sportaflop—” A dirty hand in the center of Robbie’s chest stopped him in his tracks and pushed him back. Robbie’s eyes traveled from the hand up the muscular arm and he locked eyes with Sportacus. He spun on his heel and retreated through the hidden door.

“Robbie…”

Robbie threw the pillow over his shoulder to slow Sportacus down and broke into a run for the silo. He skidded past the ladder at first, doubled back and he climbed as fast as he could but Sportacus jumped onto the silo hatch before he could open it.

Sportacus crossed his arms over his chest, “Robbie—“

A shriek interrupted him as Robbie flinched and cowered against the ladder. “Don’t hurt me.”

“What, no,” said Sportacus as he hopped off the silo. “You made a mess of my airship.” Robbie relaxed against the ladder and opened his eyes. Sportacus continued, “I can’t fix it myself.”

Robbie stepped off the ladder, “You mean,” he clasped his hands on Sportacus’s shoulders. “One of my schemes actually worked?” Sportacus set his mouth in a thin line which was enough of an answer for Robbie who arched his back and cackled to the sky. He wrapped his arm around Sportacus’s shoulders to support his weight and wiped away a tear from his eye, “I never thought I would see the day.”

“Robbie,” said Sportacus. “What is the end goal of all your schemes against me?”

A hand on hip, Robbie looked at Sportacus, “Hm?”

“You want me to leave so Lazy Town can be lazy again, right?” He could almost hear the gears in Robbie’s head try to turn but the mechanism faltered and clunked. A long moment passed, and Sportacus knew he wouldn’t get it, “I can’t leave if my airship is downed. I will have to stay in Lazy Town. Possibly forever.”

Robbie’s smug smile fell off his face and landed somewhere on the ground. He grabbed Sportacus by the shoulders and pulled him close, “Forever?” He pushed Sportacus away, “Forever?” Robbie groaned, spun on his heel and climbed up the silo ladder while he muttered to himself. He hopped into the silo and the hatch slammed shut behind him.

Sportacus threw up his hands, climbed the ladder, and threw open the hatch. He took a moment to collect himself before he called down the silo, “Robbie?”

A gelled coif popped out of the silo, “What?” Robbie said and climbed out of the slio. His sudden appearance startled Sportacus and he hopped off the ladder to allow Robbie to climb down. “I am finally better than you.” Robbie threw an orange toolbox onto the ground as he climbed out of the silo. “I have beaten you, finally, and this is what I get.” He wore a deep purple jumpsuit monogrammed with his initials. “I have to help you because otherwise you beat me because I beat you.” He groaned, picked up his toolbox, and walked shoulders slumped through the hidden door of the billboard. He called over his shoulder to Sportacus, “Shut the hatch, will you?”

Sportacus did as he asked and followed Robbie through the billboard. He caught up to Robbie quickly and patted him on the shoulder, “You’ll help? Thanks Robbie!”

“Yes, yes,” said Robbie. “Otherwise you’ll be here forever and I can’t have that. No much noise and flippity flip.” He stopped near the town square and shaded his eyes with a hand, “Where is the thing, anyway?”

Sportacus pointed to the forest, “I landed it outside the forest—“ 

“Land or crash, Sportaflip?” Asked Robbie with a snide laugh.

“Maybe a little bit of both,” Sportacus cleared his throat, “Come on.” They walked along the track outside the sports field. “The box you gave me through mayor melted in my control box. I cleaned it out the best I could but it wasn’t enough, I guess, since the engine failed in the—“ he cut himself off with a yawn “—middle of the night.”

“I have never been prouder,” said Robbie. “Only I was too good.”

Sportacus interlaced his fingers on the top of his head, staining his blue hat with brown grease, “Okay, Robbie.” They passed through Lazy Park, past a bench were Stephanie was engrossed in her journaling. She glanced up, did a double take, and she jumped up to walk alongside Sportacus and Robbie.

“Hey Sportacus; Hey Robbie,” said Stephanie falling in step with them, she gasped when noticed the state of Sportacus's uniform, “What happened Sportacus, are you okay?”  
He held his hands on his head, “I’m okay, Stephanie, don’t worry. I had some trouble with the airship during the night and Robbie’s going to help me with it now.”

“You’re going to help Sportacus, Robbie?” She narrowed her eyes, fell behind the pair, and walked alongside Robbie. 

"Yes," said Robbie.

Stephanie glanced between Robbie and Sportacus, “What were you doing last night, Robbie? We all heard something like, like,” she used her hands to mimic an explosion. “Va-whoosh.”

Robbie stopped in his tracks, bent down, and pointed his finger in her face. “I don’t appreciate baseless accusations, little pink girl,” said Robbie. He stood up straight and brushed off the front of his clean coveralls. “If you must know, I was enjoying the best of Broadway on television last night.” He raised an eyebrow, “If you really want to know, ask Sportaspoon.”

“Ah,” Sportacus scratched his head through the hat, furthering the brown grease stain, and shot Robbie a look. “Yes, that was me. The air ship malfunctioned during the night and I needed to land—“

“Crash,” Robbie interjected.

“A little bit of both,” continued Sportacus his mouth in a thin line as he took his hands off his head. He shrugged, “It was a rough landing in the forest. I’m sorry if I scared you, or anyone else, for that matter.” His arms fell to his sides while he gave Robbie a look, one that he hoped chastised him for worrying children, he didn't seem to take notice.

Another gasp from Stephanie, she covered her mouth with her hands, “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you need anything?” She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him down to look her in the eye, “Seriously.” She said it in such a serious tone for an eight year old Sportacus couldn’t help but to laugh.

“I’m okay, Stephanie, really.” He pulled himself free of Stephanie’s grip and grimaced a little when he saw the grease on her hand. “I’m sorry. Go wash your hands while I Robbie and I work on the airship. If we need more help, I’ll come get you. Okay?”

“Okay,” she said. “You sure you don’t need anything?”

“Yes, I’m—“ his stomach growled loud enough for both Stephanie and Robbie to take notice, “—Ah.” Sportacus stared into the middle distance.

“Wait right here,” said Stephanie and she ran to the mayor’s home.

Sportacus sighed and interlaced his fingers on top of his head and he could feel Robbie’s gaze on him. “The airship is automated,” he said in response to Robbie’s unspoken question. “Unless I smashed it, I wasn’t getting much sportscandy out of it.”

“You know,” Robbie placed his toolbox at his feet. “I was thinking this was the longest I’ve ever seen you walk.” He laughed, “Awake past 8:08, little to no sportscandy, and no flipity flips? This really is my best work.” He placed his hands on his hips and smiled. “This is a great day.”

Sportacus sighed and interlaced his fingers on top of his head, "Okay Robbie."

Minutes later they watched as Stephanie jogged back with a basket covered with a red gingham cloth. “Sportacus,” she held out the basket with both hands and a huge smile, “I packed as much sportscandy in here as I could but I can get some more if you need it.” She looked at Robbie, “I even packed some cookies, Robbie, my uncle and I made them last night. I thought it was only fair since you're helping Sportacus with his ship." 

“Thank you, Stephanie,” said Sportacus.

“They don’t have,” Robbie gagged as he tried to utter the word, “Raisins in them, do they?”

Sportacus cleared his throat and glanced at Robbie, “That was very nice of you. I’ll return your basket tomorrow at the latest, okay?” He took the basket from her and stood in that heroic pose of his with a smile, “I promise I’ll let you know if I need anything else.”

She crossed her arms, “You promise?”

Again, so serious for an eight year old that Sportacus just had to smile, “I promise, Stephanie. Go play with the others kids and I’ll meet you for a tomorrow for a game.” She nodded in agreement, and he waved her off as she ran back to the sports field. He turned back to see Robbie lift up the corner of the red gingham cloth with a raised eyebrow.

Robbie raised both when Sportacus looked at him, “I don’t like raisins," he said as he dropped the corner of the cloth and picked up his toolbox, “Raisins are made of lies, not that you would know seeing as how you like raisins, but all they do is masquerade as chocolate chips in innocent cookies.” He waved his toolbox in the direction of the forest. “Come on, show me where the ship is so I can get you out of here.”

Sportacus nodded, “It on the edge of the forest,” he pulled an apple out of the basket. “Past the clearing on the path,” and took a bite out of the apple. They walked in silence through the forest with Sportacus in the lead. He ate the apple whole and it made Robbie groan, “What?” Sportacus asked as he directed Robbie to the left.

“You disgust me sometimes, you know that?”

“I do, Robbie,” said Sportacus as he ducked under a tree branch. “It’s right over here.” He pointed over to where the downed airship loomed in the distance between the trees. They walked for a few minutes before he and Robbie could take in the whole scene: the airship sat in a rut of dirt, the walls of which were five feet tall, fallen trees nestled the bow, and the starboard side wing dug into the ground. The door hung partially open at a seventy degree angle and they could see the access panels for the engines open in the stern.

Robbie held his arms wide, “This is my greatest achievement,” he sighed with a blissful smile. “Ah, but,” his arms fell limply at his sides. “You had to ruin it, didn’t you, like you ruin everything.” Shoulders slumped he walked over to the engine. “Let’s get this over with.” Sportacus followed behind but Robbie shooed him away. “I can’t work with you,” he dropped his toolbox at his feet. “Looming.” Sportacus opened his mouth to speak but Robbie cut him off, “No. No you can’t help. If you couldn’t do anything before you can’t do anything now.” Sportacus tried to speak and, again, Robbie cut him off. “No, stop it, go over there and eat your sportscandy, Sportaflipflop.”

Dejected and rejected Sportacus did as he was asked, “Okay Robbie.” He sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree and placed the basket beside him. “You will let me know if you need any help?”

“Be quiet. Let me work.”

“Okay Robbie.” He pulled the gingham cloth off the basket and set aside the plate of chocolate chip cookies for Robbie before he took a carrot to eat himself. He watched Robbie look over the engines with a small flashlight. He could hear him mutter to himself before Robbie squatted down to fetch a tool from his toolbox.

A firm hand shook Sportacus’s shoulder, he didn’t even realize he fell asleep on the fallen tree, “What, what, is someone in trouble?” His silent crystal told him otherwise, of course, he looked up to see Robbie stand above him, his jumpsuit unzipped to the waist and the sleeves wrapped around his waist, his usually impeccable hairstyle was astrew, and grease smeared along his arms and on his forehead.

“I need to get inside the ship to the control box,” said Robbie, ignoring Sportacus’s questions. He nodded at the door that hung partially open, a large groove dug into the dirt pile closest to the door. “Give me a boost.”

Sportacus blinked a couple of times, “Okay.” He got up and stretched while Robbie walked to the door and tapped his foot impatiently.

“Any day now would be nice,” said Robbie as tried to wipe the grease on his arms with an orange rag.

Sportacus jogged over to Robbie by the ship and bent down with his fingers interlaced. "Alright Robbie, I’m ready.” Robbie tucked the rag into this back pocket before he braced himself on Sportacus’s shoulder’s and placed his booted foot in Sportacus’s hands. “Up we go,” said Sportacus as he lifted Robbie up towards the door. Robbie swayed, grabbed Sportacus’s head for support, but eventually managed to grabbed the edge of the airship’s door.

“Higher, Flippty-Flop,” Robbie shouted, his foot on Sportacus’s shoulder.

The blue hat pulled down over his eyes, and his goggles halfway down his face, but Sportacus did his best, “Okay, Robbie.” He said and lifted Robbie as far as he could. The weight lifted off his Sportacus so he took the moment to pull off his hat and goggles to see Robbie looking down from the partially opened door. Sportacus ran one hand through his curly blond hair and held the hat and goggles in the other, “You got it?”

Robbie stood on the platform and held his cheek with one hand, the elbow balanced on the other arm held across his chest. “Honestly,” said Robbie with a hand gesture. “If I knew I was right about everything, I would’ve thought up a better insult than blue elf. Really? How can something be an insult if it’s true.” He laughed but stopped when he saw the frown on Sportacus’s face. “Fine. Whatever. Get up here and bring my toolbox. I need you to show me the control box.”

Toolbox in hand, Sportacus held his hat and goggles in his mouth, and he jumped up to grab the edge of the platform. He lifted the toolbox up and then pulled himself up after it. He took the hat and googles out of his mouth, grabbed the toolbox from where it slid on the platform, and hopped into the leaning airship. He found Robbie looking at the pilot’s seat, a finger tapped on his pronounced chin. Sportacus cleared his throat, “Are the engines fixed, Robbie?”

Broken out of his trance, “Yes, yes,” said Robbie as he walked across the airship over to the water station and tapped on the bubble that held the ice block. “You live like this? It’s so,” he looked down searching for words and noticed his boot prints on the white floor. “Sterile.”

Sportacus shrugged and tossed the hat and goggles into the pilot's seat. “It’s been my home for as long as I’ve traveled across the globe,” he said and walked over to the panel in the floor that housed the control box. “I guess I’m just used to it.” He looked down at the panel and over to Robbie. “It’s down there but I don’t know how to get it out.”

Robbie let out a long melodramatic groan while he walked to short distance over to Sportacus. “You mean to tell me,” he stood across from Sportacus with his hands on his hips. “That you lived in this blimp for years and don’t know how to work it?” He snatched the toolbox from Sportacus. “Unbelievable.”

“It’s not a blimp,” said Sportacus slowly as Robbie knelt down to rummage in his toolbox and pulled out a long thin screwdriver. “It’s an airship.”

“It’s useless, that’s what it is,” said Robbie as he slid the rod into a small hole along the crack of the panel to slide the panel open. “Now, you don’t be useless and pull up the box for me, yeah?” Sportacus knelt down and pulled the control box up and slid open the access panel on the domed top. Robbie looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Why does it have a racing stripe on it?” Sportacus shrugged and Robbie waved him it off, “You have such an ugly aesthetic, you know that?” He placed the screwdriver back into the toolbox and pulled out a watch repair kit in a deep purple carrying case.

Sportacus crossed his arms over his chest, “That seems hypocritical, Robbie, purple and orange?”

Lock pins clinked against the metal of the control box as Robbie spoke, “At least they match. Take a course in color theory sometime, Sportafork.” He chuckled as he saw red rise up into the tips of Sportacus’s pointed ears. “This really is a good day," he said with a laugh. He slid the lock pin back into its place in the carrying case and zippered the case shut before he tossed the entire thing into the toolbox. “That should do it.” He closed the toolbox before he wiped his hands with the orange rag.

The engines whirred, the switches on the floor of the airship blinked on, a robotic voice chimed in to say, “Systems online.” They watched as the control box lowered into the floor and the panel slid over it.

Sportacus clapped a hand on Robbie’s shoulder, “You did it, Robbie,” he said with a smile. “Thank you.”

“Yes, yes, I did,” said Robbie with a chuckle. He cleared his throat and shrugged off Sportacus’s hand and grabbed the handle of the toolbox. “Never ask me for another favor,” he said as he walked onto the door’s platform. “I might not be so nice the next time.” He tossed down the toolbox to the ground with a hard thud that made Sportacus wince before he sat on the platform and scooted himself to the edge.

“I wouldn’t consider it a favor, Robbie,” said Sportacus from the doorway with his arms across his chest. “Do you need a hand?”

Robbie kicked his legs in the air and looked down at the ground, only about six feet or so, but his face paled and his grip on the edge was white knuckled. He took a shaky breath, “No.” Sportacus hopped onto the platform and Robbie hopped off onto the dirt pile beside the ship. He slid down dirt pile on his butt to land on his feet on the grass. He snatched the orange rag up from the dirt, picked up the toolbox, and walked back to the basket on the fallen tree.

“Are you okay, Robbie?” Sportacus called from the door platform.

Robbie waved with a chocolate chip cookie in hand, “I’m always okay,” said Robbie through a mouth full of chocolate chip cookie. “Don’t ask me for help again, Goodbye.” Robbie disappeared into the trees and left behind an empty plate beside the empty basket.

Sportacus shook his head and hopped off the platform and placed the plate back into the basket to give back to Stephanie. He needed to get the ship airborne again but with Robbie's help it wouldn't take long.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading.


End file.
